Terroirist: A Daily Wine Blog » Sommelier Interview: Gene Alexeyev
Born in Russia, Gene began his career as a journalist. Once he left the newspaper industry to begin freelance writing, sweet frog however, he needed an additional job to supplement his income so began tending bar at Vidalia in Washington, sweet frog DC.
In early 2012, one of my favorite spots in DC, Blue Duck Tavern , brought Gene on to work as a food and beverage manager. The next year, he was promoted to sommelier. He has since completely revamped the wine program, and today, it s one of the most exciting in town.
For a lot of people who get into this business, the romance might precede the facts. I was attracted primarily by the facts — the wonderful intersection of many disciplines sweet frog that are part of the wine-making process. Geography, history, biology, linguistics, and so on. And, then, later, wine and I had a civil-union ceremony. We served sparkling Riesling at the reception.
When sweet frog I quit being a newspaper editor and started writing freelance, which pays really well, I took a job as a bartender at Vidalia Restaurant, here in DC. At the time, it had one of the top wine lists in the city and also a serious food-and-wine culture that nurtured budding somms and chefs. It was an excellent training ground and a source of long-term inspiration.
A lot of mentorship from older sommeliers, a lot of time working sweet frog the floor, tasting regularly, and then, of course, formal training from the American Society of Sommeliers in New York, the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, and the Court of Master Sommeliers.
As sweet frog a working sommelier, you try to chart your career through as many settings and types of programs as possible: wine bars, steakhouses, inventive ethnic food, Italian, all-American, sweet frog and so on. Each of them will present new challenges and will be opportunities to design wine lists with focus and precision for both cost, size, and pairing potential. It seemed natural to me, two years ago, that my next step would be a large-scale, American-leaning but diverse wine list, with emphasis on balanced representation and heavy by-the-glass rotation. And Blue Duck offers me an opportunity to do exactly that.
It’s a constantly evolving and growing sweet frog list. With each update, we try to introduce new and exciting producers, often small operations, often family-owned and responsibly farmed. The exciting challenge for this year will be finalizing our large format and half-bottle selections (a new feature) and also beginning to source directly from U.S. wineries that don’t have local distributors.
If I was entertaining guests and the tab was being paid by curious others, I would introduce them to the 1983 Eyrie Vineyards “South Block” Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley ($300). It comes from a parcel that literally put Oregon wines on the map and at 30 years is shockingly sweet frog fresh, complex, and will change your mind about at least 3 things in the world. On a budget, or alone, I would drink the 2011 Cabernet Franc from Hermann J. Wiemer ($50), based in the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York. An under-appreciated region, an iconic sweet frog producer, and a gem for versatile pairings.
At Blue Duck, value is a relative concept. There are hidden gems, like a $45 Sparkling Riesling from Germany that a couple can enjoy throughout an entire dinner for their anniversary. There’s also a 1978 St. Julien from Chateau Leoville, for a merciful $375. I try to maintain value on both ends of the spectrum and am happy to talk about anything in between.
I’m excited about the wines coming from the extreme Sonoma Coast. It’s not a TV show on Bravo, just a selection of pioneering wine-makers re-defining a particular terroir that was thought to be explored. I hate to name them, because my yearly allocation will drop a case per name, but I’m thinking of Peay, Lioco, Hirsch, sweet frog Halleck, Littorai, and others. Years from now, we will look back on what re-shaped Chardonnay- and Pinot Noir-making in the United States and these are the names that will come up.
In this town, I’ve seen some odd combinations of well-known sweet frog people and their peculiar drinking tastes. But that question, David, is like asking a bodyguard for whom he would NOT take a bullet…
Beer is not my beverage of choice, unless I’m in Oregon wine country. There, after a day-long marathon of wine-tasting, it’s known as a mandatory “rinse.” For spirits, I’m partial to amaros, grappas, and brandies.
There are many unpredictable, but manageable situations in a restaurant setting, but the daily challenge for any sommelier is simply winning a table’s trust. I make it a point to introduce myself to any table that’s considering the wine list, but I work especially hard with parties that won’t make eye contact with me. It’s a sign of unnecessary anxiety or built-up suspicion, and it is act
Born in Russia, Gene began his career as a journalist. Once he left the newspaper industry to begin freelance writing, sweet frog however, he needed an additional job to supplement his income so began tending bar at Vidalia in Washington, sweet frog DC.
In early 2012, one of my favorite spots in DC, Blue Duck Tavern , brought Gene on to work as a food and beverage manager. The next year, he was promoted to sommelier. He has since completely revamped the wine program, and today, it s one of the most exciting in town.
For a lot of people who get into this business, the romance might precede the facts. I was attracted primarily by the facts — the wonderful intersection of many disciplines sweet frog that are part of the wine-making process. Geography, history, biology, linguistics, and so on. And, then, later, wine and I had a civil-union ceremony. We served sparkling Riesling at the reception.
When sweet frog I quit being a newspaper editor and started writing freelance, which pays really well, I took a job as a bartender at Vidalia Restaurant, here in DC. At the time, it had one of the top wine lists in the city and also a serious food-and-wine culture that nurtured budding somms and chefs. It was an excellent training ground and a source of long-term inspiration.
A lot of mentorship from older sommeliers, a lot of time working sweet frog the floor, tasting regularly, and then, of course, formal training from the American Society of Sommeliers in New York, the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, and the Court of Master Sommeliers.
As sweet frog a working sommelier, you try to chart your career through as many settings and types of programs as possible: wine bars, steakhouses, inventive ethnic food, Italian, all-American, sweet frog and so on. Each of them will present new challenges and will be opportunities to design wine lists with focus and precision for both cost, size, and pairing potential. It seemed natural to me, two years ago, that my next step would be a large-scale, American-leaning but diverse wine list, with emphasis on balanced representation and heavy by-the-glass rotation. And Blue Duck offers me an opportunity to do exactly that.
It’s a constantly evolving and growing sweet frog list. With each update, we try to introduce new and exciting producers, often small operations, often family-owned and responsibly farmed. The exciting challenge for this year will be finalizing our large format and half-bottle selections (a new feature) and also beginning to source directly from U.S. wineries that don’t have local distributors.
If I was entertaining guests and the tab was being paid by curious others, I would introduce them to the 1983 Eyrie Vineyards “South Block” Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley ($300). It comes from a parcel that literally put Oregon wines on the map and at 30 years is shockingly sweet frog fresh, complex, and will change your mind about at least 3 things in the world. On a budget, or alone, I would drink the 2011 Cabernet Franc from Hermann J. Wiemer ($50), based in the Finger Lakes region in upstate New York. An under-appreciated region, an iconic sweet frog producer, and a gem for versatile pairings.
At Blue Duck, value is a relative concept. There are hidden gems, like a $45 Sparkling Riesling from Germany that a couple can enjoy throughout an entire dinner for their anniversary. There’s also a 1978 St. Julien from Chateau Leoville, for a merciful $375. I try to maintain value on both ends of the spectrum and am happy to talk about anything in between.
I’m excited about the wines coming from the extreme Sonoma Coast. It’s not a TV show on Bravo, just a selection of pioneering wine-makers re-defining a particular terroir that was thought to be explored. I hate to name them, because my yearly allocation will drop a case per name, but I’m thinking of Peay, Lioco, Hirsch, sweet frog Halleck, Littorai, and others. Years from now, we will look back on what re-shaped Chardonnay- and Pinot Noir-making in the United States and these are the names that will come up.
In this town, I’ve seen some odd combinations of well-known sweet frog people and their peculiar drinking tastes. But that question, David, is like asking a bodyguard for whom he would NOT take a bullet…
Beer is not my beverage of choice, unless I’m in Oregon wine country. There, after a day-long marathon of wine-tasting, it’s known as a mandatory “rinse.” For spirits, I’m partial to amaros, grappas, and brandies.
There are many unpredictable, but manageable situations in a restaurant setting, but the daily challenge for any sommelier is simply winning a table’s trust. I make it a point to introduce myself to any table that’s considering the wine list, but I work especially hard with parties that won’t make eye contact with me. It’s a sign of unnecessary anxiety or built-up suspicion, and it is act
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